The Rapidan is a temperamental river when there are heavy rains, and the Raccoon Ford area is particularly susceptible to flooding. In 2018, Raccoon Ford Road in Orange County across the Rapidan from Raccoon Ford was closed 6 times due to flooding. Midway through 2019, there has been only one road closure, but the water level in the river has risen precipitously during several of the year’s rainstorms.
The following clipping from 1902 indicates that this is a longstanding issue.
More than 100 years later, the road bed continues to be “encroached upon.” Over the last year, the Virginia Department of Transportation has repeatedly undertaken stabilization projects on the river bank alongside Raccoon Ford Road. Our bets are on Mother Nature.